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Cost & financial aid brief

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# Dominican University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated October 1, 2026

[Overview](/school/dominican-university/)Cost & aid[Outcomes](/school/dominican-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/dominican-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/dominican-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/dominican-university/similar/)

**On this page**+

## How much does Dominican University cost after financial aid?

Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is the amount aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships. Aid recipients at Dominican University pay an average net price of $11,745, $15,626 below the median at comparable institutions (same type and size).

Azimuth places the affordability pillar in the 77th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Borrowers who finish leave with a median of $24,411 in federal student loans, $212 above the peer median.

Families earning under $30,000 average $9,759; those over $110,000 average $17,963. Net prices sit below the peer median, while debt sits above it.

The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is $9,759 for families earning under $30,000; $9,014 for the $30,001–$48,000 band; $11,891 for $48,001–$75,000; $16,851 for $75,001–$110,000; and $17,963 for families earning over $110,000. 51.5% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, providing context for the lowest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $8,204.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$9,759

**$30–48K**
$9,014

**$48–75K**
$11,891

**$75–110K**
$16,851

**$110K+**
$17,963

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$11,745**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

Aid covers about 73% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The sticker-to-net gap is $32,146 on average.

The pattern across income bands shows lower average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)s at lower incomes, with the lowest band averaging $9,759 and the highest $17,963. The spread of $8,204 describes a pricing structure that tilts toward affordability for families with fewer resources, rather than a flat discount.

The published cost of attendance at Dominican University is $43,891 (an average across living arrangements). Azimuth ranks the university #326 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

After grants and scholarships, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $9,759, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $11,891, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $17,963. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $8,204.

Aid covers about 73% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The average net price across all aid recipients is $11,745, which is $15,626 below the median of $27,371 for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Borrowers who finish carry a median of $24,411 in federal student loans. That figure is $212 above the peer median of $24,199.

Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $19,865 in [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loans. If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $277 a month.

It estimates what a family might pay at this school based on their own finances.

## Student loans: what does repayment look like?

Federal borrowing is widespread at Dominican University, with 90.8% of federal aid recipients taking federal loans. Among borrowers who complete, the median federal student loan debt is $24,411.

That median is $212 above the $24,199 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Parents who borrow through [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) hold a separate median of $19,865.

In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 62% of its 231 bachelor's graduates borrowed from any source, with an average cumulative debt of $25,903 per borrower. Of those graduates, 61% held federal loans averaging $22,718. A smaller group, 8%, held private loans averaging $25,853.

Dominican University graduates earn a median of $59,507 four years after completing a degree, which is the 49th percentile. That figure is $8,743 below the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

The earnings picture shifts when measured against the model's expectation. Graduates earn about $13,823 more than the model expects for similar students, a result at the 90th percentile.

Estimated from the program mix, the earnings scenarios range from $48,301 on the downside to $81,888 on the upside, with a typical scenario of $59,507. Borrowers who finish leave with a median of $24,411 in federal student loans, $212 above the peer median.

If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $277 a month.

For the separate population of parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $19,865. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $277 a month if repaid over ten years.

[Repayment figures](#combined-borrowing) are in the Financial GPS card below. [Borrowing populations and model assumptions](#cost-data-notes).

## Parent loans: what can the family afford?

[How Parent PLUS borrowing affects families](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/)

**Median Parent PLUS debt**
$19,865

**Estimated parent payment**
$252/mo

Modeled Parent PLUS pressure by income

| Income | Risk level |
| --- | --- |
| $35,000 | High pressure |
| $50,000 | High pressure |
| $75,000 | High pressure |
| $100,000 | Caution |
| $150,000 | Safe |
| $200,000 | Safe |

The model holds the parent balance fixed and varies parent income. [Read the assumptions and limits](#cost-data-notes).

## Student and parent loans: the monthly payments

Financial GPS

### What does repayment look like?

**Institution median student debt**
$24,411

**Institution Parent PLUS debt**
$19,865

Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.

**Estimated student payment · monthly**
$277/mo

**Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly**
$252/mo

**Modeled student + parent payments**
$529/mo

Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.

#### Student payment as a share of available income

At median graduate earnings of $59,507, with a $22,590 annual allowance for basic expenses:

**9.0%** of income above the allowance · Good

1.  Excellent Under 8%
2.  Good 8–under 12% · selected scenario
3.  Concerning 12–20%
4.  High risk Over 20%

How this estimate works

These are modeled earnings scenarios, not observed earnings percentiles. Annual student payments ÷ (earnings − basic-expense allowance). The starting allowance, $22,590, uses the published framework’s 2024 baseline; it is not a current local living-cost estimate. Change it for your budget, including taxes and other obligations. This combines school-level figures for illustration, not a typical individual’s budget or an official school rating. Parent PLUS is separate.

[Read the framework and its limits](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

Payment assumptions

Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.

[Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS](/financial-gps/?tool=student&school=dominican-university#student-tool)

## Data & methodology

Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/).

Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).

**Net price and borrowing.** The 2023–24 income-band averages include living costs and cover eligible first-time, full-time aid recipients; public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. They are not individual aid offers. Peer matching supplies overall net prices, not matched income-band averages. [College Scorecard data and documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/).

A personal student-risk assessment also needs your major and borrowing plan; these school-level illustrations do not assign you a personal risk zone.

Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates. Private-loan figures from the Common Data Set are separate from these federal repayment illustrations.